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When Cassandra J. Perry was 13, a physical disability prevented her from going to school.

She had a genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which means that her joints are unstable, her connective tissue is weak, she’s more prone to injuries, and she has chronic pain.

When she began living alone as an adult after splitting up with her spouse, she worried about how she’d be able to grocery shop.

Her physical disabilities — Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, osteoarthritis, and pudendal neuralgia — had become more severe over time, making physical activity harder for her.

“Grocery shopping and food prep have become impossible on my own,” says Perry. “I can't always get to a store, and when I can, I can't carry my own groceries due to limitations on how much weight I'm allowed to hold and carry.”

Cassandra J. Perry. Photo by Louis Shackleton, used with permission.

Perry had to rely on the generosity of friends to get enough to eat.

With Supplemental Security Income (SSI) being her only source of financial support, she crowdfunded six times to have enough money to buy groceries.

She had a Patreon account for eight months. Two of her friends regularly helped her cook meals, and others invited her over for meals.

“To survive, I kept a strict budget, which I would share publicly each time I needed to crowdfund,” Perry explains. “I had to get over my pride and my fear of asking for help.”

She supplemented the crowdfunding and SSI income with money she made selling her belongings, such as clothing and books.

Perry knew this method of survival wasn’t sustainable, so she joined the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the spring of 2015.

Often known as "food stamps," this benefit gives her $192 each month, which covers half of her overall food costs.

“Without [it], I would only be able to meet my food needs by relying on the generosity of my social network, food pantries, and food kitchens," she says.

“Most days, I can't physically walk around a store, even if someone is doing the carrying for me,” she says. Her friends and family help by going to the store with her, and they do the shopping while she waits in the car. She then joins them in the checkout line to pay using her benefits.

Perry paying for groceries with her EBT card. Photo by Louis Shackleton, used with permission.

And thanks to local farmers markets, that $192 a month extends even farther.

These local markets match up to an extra $30 for healthy items, allowing her to bring home more fresh produce.

Because she’s on food stamps, Perry also qualifies for community support agriculture, where subscribers receive a regular supply of produce and other farm goods, such as in-season fruits and vegetables, eggs, meat and milk.

Since unprocessed, fresh foods tend to be more costly, her benefits and the additional incentives to buy fruits and vegetables make a significant difference.

Perry says that food pantries and kitchens tend not to have the specific kinds of healthy foods her doctor recommends as part of her treatment. This makes the fact that her food stamps give her access to more fresh produce particularly invaluable. Perry can also use her benefits to buy prepackaged and prepared (cut, chopped, diced, or peeled) produce, which she can't get at food pantries and is easier for her since she has limited use of her hands.

Perry is grateful that she never has to make the choice between eating or paying rent.

Photo courtesy of Cassandra Perry.

“This provides me with a guarantee that I'll have food to eat because I won't have to choose between eating and paying bills,” she says. “Every last dollar I can muster is put to very good use.”

Because she is physically unable to work and lives on a limited budget, her benefits are a lifeline.

According to the 2015 National Health Interview Survey, 1 in 4 participants on food stamps have a disability that prevents them from working — just like Perry. That’s more than 11 million people. These benefits ensure they never have to make an impossible decision between going hungry or having a roof over their heads.

You can’t put a price on that kind of support.

It's time to rethink how we view families on food stamps. These programs show why.

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Unlimited fruits and veggies, breakfast, and after-school supper. These Vermont schools serve it all — for free.

No matter what, all students in Burlington, Vermont, get breakfast, even in the hallway if they’re running late to class. They can load up on as many fresh, locally sourced fruits and vegetables as they want.

In other words, these kids don’t have to worry about being hungry during the school day: The Burlington School Food Project runs a free meals program for every child to make sure of that.

Such programs exist in schools throughout the country for one simple but critical reason: Kids need to eat to function. When kids are well-fed, their focus and performance in the classroom improves.

They can also bring healthy eating habits home to their families. Many kids who qualify for free meals in the U.S. have families that depend on programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to ensure they get enough to eat outside of school.

Places like Burlington that prioritize and support food and nutrition assistance are wonderful examples of addressing hunger from multiple angles and can be a real game changer.

Students eating a meal in Burlington. Image via Ben Hudson/Burlington School Food Project.

The impact is particularly noticeable for students from low-income and other struggling families.

"When the kids get to school, regardless of their income — if they don't have breakfast, they are hungry," says Doug Davis, food service director of Burlington School Food Project.

"Kids don't want to be hungry," Davis says, "but they also don't want to be embarrassed or humiliated in front of their friends. We really need to create a model that meets all of our kids where they are."

Such a model is vital for children because we know that "where they are" could change in an instant — which is why SNAP is also vital for children.

When a family goes through a natural disaster or a parent gets laid off or there’s a major medical emergency, it becomes all the more difficult to get kids fed at all, let alone fed fresh, nutritious food.

That’s why experts say that school meal programs, in tandem with SNAP benefits, can make all the difference for kids who would otherwise go hungry.

As it is, far too many children in the United States are hungry today. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 6.5 million children live in food-insecure households, which means they don’t always have enough food. SNAP plays a critical role in resolving that problem, as nearly half of all SNAP participants are children.

Image via iStock.

We all know what it’s like to have such a busy day that we don't get a chance to eat; we all know how that can affect our productivity and our mood for the whole day. According to economist Diane Schanzenbach, kids similarly suffer when they're hungry during the school day.

"Your brain doesn't function as well when you're hungry," she says. Kids have a hard time concentrating if all they can think about is the emptiness in their bellies.

Research has shown, Schanzenbach explains, that kids with early access to SNAP benefits can be 18% more likely to graduate from high school — a crucial factor in preparing them for an economically stable and healthy future.

In other words, everything can change when kids have enough to eat.

Back in Burlington, there’s no question food access makes for a better school day.

Davis paints a picture of happy, healthy kids when he describes a typical school day in Burlington.

For one thing, students get to make the most of what he calls a "painfully short" 22-minute lunch period. Kids spend more of those precious minutes in their seats with their friends and food without having to wait in line at a cash register.

They also get to choose food that looks good to them, and they learn to serve themselves, making them more likely to eat than if they had food already placed on their tray for them.

A child selects food at school in Burlington. Ben Hudson/Burlington School Food Project.

That’s right — these kids are actually excited to eat their veggies.

Based on research like Schanzenbach's, it’s easy to figure out why these differences are so crucial. A cafeteria full of students eating nutritious food is a cafeteria full of kids getting a great start in life.

SNAP's impact on food assistance is clear — but the effects goes even further than you might imagine.

Schanzenbach and her colleagues tracked families across decades andfound thatSNAP benefits lead to more economic self-sufficiency for women. For those who are mothers, their children then grow up to be healthier and more economically self-sufficient.

Plus local economies get a boost: Every $5 spent in new SNAP benefits generates up to $9 in economic activity.

School meal programs can also give the economy a boost: For instance, Burlington School Food Project sources their food from local farmers, and their "farm to school" approach gets the whole community engaged.

Research also shows that low-income families can use their SNAP benefits to make healthier choices.

Image via iStock.

"The truth is, when people have more resources to spend, they're more likely to buy healthier food," Schanzenbach says. Some slack in the budget means more room for foods like vegetables, poultry, and milk.

Thanks to SNAP benefits and school meals, every family can be empowered to lead happy, healthy lives.

Cafeterias in Burlington light up with students’ smiles as they load their trays with food plucked fresh from nearby farms. Kids have more focus in classrooms and higher attendance rates.

A child at school in Burlington. Image via Ben Hudson/Burlington School Food Project.

Any family can fall on hard times. Making sure they have enough to eat helps them get back on their feet faster.

If the lessons in Burlington can be applied across the country, millions of kids will have a shot at a bright, healthy future.

When the "Notorious RBG" gets real about #MeToo, you listen.

In recent years, the 84-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has become a cultural icon and a source of inspiration — not to mention hilarious "SNL" sketches. When she took on sexism in a conversation with CNN on Feb. 11, at Columbia University, her spirited comments created no shortage of laughs and cheers.

Despite growing concerns that the movement has overstayed its welcome, Ginsburg said she isn't worried about the longevity of #MeToo, which has swept across the power corridors of Hollywood, the publishing industry, and American politics.

"Yes, there will always be adjustments when there is a transition, but on the whole, it's amazing to me that for the first time women are really listened to because sexual harassment was often dismissed as 'well, she made it up' or 'she's too thin-skinned,'" she added.

"I don't think that there will be a serious backlash; it's too widespread," she said.

Justice Ginsburg at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in January. Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images.

Ginsburg also shared that she went through her own #MeToo moment.

During the interview, Ginsburg revisited an uncomfortable experience as a young student in the 1950s ,when a professor provided her the questions to an upcoming test after she'd asked for help in preparing for the exam.

"I knew just what he expected in return," she said, adding that she confronted the professor afterward.

"There were many incidents like that, but in those days the attitude was, 'What can we do about it? Nothing. Boys will be boys.'"

Ginsburg went on to say that the movement's next phase must protect women in ordinary jobs — not just celebrities.

"My concern is that it shouldn't stop with prominent people ... that it should protect — this new attitude — should protect the maid who works at a hotel," she said.

[rebelmouse-image 19531297 dam="1" original_size="1200x797" caption="Ginsburg poses with former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner and Justice Sonia Soto Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan. Photo by Steven Petteway/Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States." expand=1]Ginsburg poses with former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner and Justice Sonia Soto Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan. Photo by Steven Petteway/Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Ultimately, Ginsburg said she believes #MeToo is too big to fail and will last for generations.

She isn't naive about the challenges ahead for women, and men, in adapting to new cultural norms — and she believes sexism played a significant role in the 2016 election and continues to rear its head across our cultural institutions.

"My hope is that Congress will think about people — where the United States population now is, and I am putting my faith in the millennials."

Ginsburg speaks with the authority of someone who has spent nearly 25 years serving on the nation's highest court. To say she chooses her public statements carefully is an understatement. So when she sayswe've already come too far for the tide of progress to be stopped, there's reason to be hopeful and to stay motivated.

This post was updated 02/14/2018.

'All I want for Christmas is to know that she'll get to stay in the United States.'

Santa can't bring Gabriela and Abigail what they want this year, so they're taking their Christmas wish to someone equally jolly and warm-hearted: Ellen DeGeneres.

In a new video from MoveOn.org, Gabriela Zuniga and Abigail Escobar read a letter they wrote to the queen of daytime talk shows, asking her to host a DACA recipient for a discussion about why passing the DREAM Act matters. As DeGeneres is a supporter of the DREAM Act and undocumented immigrants, the girls thought she might be up for the task.

You may say I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one. #DreamAct
A post shared by Ellen (@theellenshow) on Nov 21, 2017 at 12:27pm PST

Without the DREAM Act, both girls might soon have to say goodbye to their moms, who could be deported to a country they've never really known.

Both Gabriela's and Abigail's mothers are undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children. For them and other Dreamers, America is the only home they've ever known. In 2012, after Congress refused to act on granting any sort of protected status or path to citizenship for these immigrants, President Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

GIFs from MoveOn/Facebook.

Under DACA, undocumented immigrants who met specific criteria would be allowed to stay while Congress (hopefully) found a long-term plan. That plan never came, and in September of this year, President Trump announced plans to rescind the DACA program, leaving Congress until March 2018 to either pass the DREAM Act or leave people like Gabriela's and Abigail's moms vulnerable to immediate deportation.

As long as Congress won't act, Dreamers' futures remain very uncertain. No family should have to experience this.

After all, it's hard to make any long-term plans when you don't know whether you'll even be allowed to stay in the country or be separated from your children and sent to a country you can't even remember living in.

"My mom says everything is going to be all right," Gabriela says to the camera with a brave smile on her face. "I wish I knew that were true. Ms. Ellen, I need your help to make sure my wish comes true."

While neither you nor I have the kind of reach Ellen does, there are things each of us can do today to help Gabriela's and Abigail's wishes come true. For one, consider calling your member of Congress and letting them know that you support passing the DREAM Act. Another easy thing you can do is to share the girls' video on social media to help spread the word. Time really is running out, but we can't give up.

Watch the heartwarming video below and help these girls get a Merry Christmas in the process.

Dear Ellen, These Girls Have a Letter for You
The best thing you'll watch today: These young daughters of Dreamer moms skipped a letter to Santa this year and instead wrote to Ellen DeGeneres.Watch then show your support for a #DreamActNow: MoveOn.org/DreamAct
Posted by MoveOn.org on Thursday, December 7, 2017

Bambadjan Bamba is a busy working actor, but when I get him on the phone, it's clear he's also a busy working dad.

"I have to get my daughter home," he says. "Can I call you back in 15 minutes?"

Bamba's toddler daughter happily babbles in the backseat. It's clearly been a fun afternoon with dad. My phone rings exactly 15 minutes later. Bamba is a man of his word.

Image via Define American.

Bamba is a father, husband, and actor.

You may have seen him in a recurring role on the NBC comedy, "The Good Place," and he'll be in the new Marvel film "Black Panther" in February. At 35, Bamba has built an impressive career for himself, and his star is on the rise. Which is why his next big decision comes as somewhat of a surprise.

Image via Define American.

Bambadjan Bamba is a father, husband, actor, and an undocumented immigrant — a fact he's making public for the first time.

Bamba was born on the Ivory Coast. After years of tumultuous political unrest and upheaval, his family left for America where they applied for political asylum. Bamba arrived in the South Bronx at 10 years old and didn't speak a word of English. Television shows and hip-hop music helped him master the language, he says. But he made new friends and had a childhood much like anyone else's in his new home. He was even homecoming king.

"I consider myself American," he says. "I'm as American as it gets. I love this nation. I really trust that the people definitely love me back."

Image via Define American.

Bamba didn't know much about his immigration status until he started applying for college. That's because while Bamba lived a typical American childhood, his parents wrestled with the immigration process. After applying for asylum and waiting years for a response, the family was denied. The Bambas then consulted an immigration lawyer to assist them with their case. More than 20 years after the process started, their asylum request was granted. However, by then, Bamba's father had passed away, and Bambadjan was over 21 and married, which affected his status on the application.

While he'd been a rider on the request every single time, when it finally went through, he was left off.

Bambadjan is officially undocumented, but protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, better known as DACA.

Established under the Obama administration in 2012, DACA allows some who arrived in the U.S. illegally as minors to receive a two-year deferred action from the deportation, which also makes them eligible to attend school and receive a work permit. More than 800,000 people are enrolled in the program.

However, on Sept. 5, 2017, Trump announced he was rolling back DACA, putting thousands of individuals and families at risk.

"When it happened, honestly, I was shocked," Bamba says.

Image via Define American.

After serious backlash to his initial announcement — as many beneficiaries entrusted the government with information about themselves and their families in the hopes it would not be used against them — Trump said he'd revisit DACA in six months, unless Congress "fixes" it sooner. That's left many people like Bamba in serious limbo.

That's why Bamba is coming out as undocumented and sharing his immigration story.

By every measure, people enrolled in DACA, also known as "Dreamers" after the DREAM Act bill, are an asset to this country. In a survey of approximately 3,000 DACA enrollees, 90% of respondents were employed. Without DACA, the United States stands to lose $460 billion in gross domestic product over the next decade. That's just one of the reasons 56% of registered voters feel Dreamers should be allowed to stay.

"We're your neighbors. We're teaching your kids. We're everyday people trying to provide for their families," Bamba says. "That way Americans can say, 'Hey I don't know an undocumented person,' but hey, you know me. And you know the hundreds of others who are sharing this story every day."

Photo by David McNew/Getty Images.

But even if DACA is saved, what of the millions of immigrants who reside in this country who aren't covered under the program? Bamba's family is the perfect example that the process can take years — even when everything is done "the right way." The system is broken.

"There are millions of people here, who are basically second-class citizens, who are hiding in the shadows, who are being exploited ... who are fleeing war, who are fleeing persecution," Bamba says. "The same way Europeans back in the day came to America for shelter and protection, America is still a land of liberty. America has to accept those people. Just because they're from different places now, doesn't mean they don't deserve the same kind of protections, the same kind of opportunities to live the American dream."

Photo by David McNew/Getty Images.

Before we part ways, I can't help but ask Bambadjan what his personal "good place" looks like, a corny nod to his hit show (which was just renewed for a third season). He indulges me.

"My good place really looks like an Earth with no evil," he says. "We can do anything we want, but ... there's complete trust. There's just freedom to be happy, to do what you love and not worry about someone having to kill you or chase you down. A place where there's no more fear."

His daughter babbles in the background, as if to cheer him on. She's the reason he works hard and loves hard. And with DACA in limbo, Bamba will have to fight hard too. But for now, this sweet family will enjoy the afternoon and work to make their good place a reality.

Image via Define American.

Get to know Bambadjan as he shares his story for the first time in this powerful video.

If you think Hollywood should stand with immigrants, sign this petition and join the movement with Define American.

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Heartwarming video shows students celebrating their cafeteria manager for becoming a citizen - Upworthy ›

Ajit Pai, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission, wants to do away with net neutrality. This is a terrible idea.

Net neutrality is kind of tricky to explain, but here's an analogy: Right now, most Americans get their internet from one provider, like Comcast, Charter, Verizon, etc. Let's pretend these telecommunications companies built a grocery store. Big sites and applications like Facebook, Netflix, Google, and Twitter are shoppers in line. Right now, with net neutrality, the checkout line at the grocery store allows open access. They legally can't choose which lines move slower or faster. But if net neutrality goes away, the telecom companies will have the power to favor their own content. In other words, Comcast may let the Comcast streaming service use the express lane and force Netflix to get in line behind someone writing a check.

Our current net neutrality rules were approved two years ago, but Pai described the rules as "burdensome" and anti-innovation, and this week, he began the process of dismantling them, with a vote coming next month.

Chairman Ajit Pai of the Federal Communications Commission. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images.

Needless to say, people have strong opinions about this, and they should.

The FCC received millions of comments opposing the measure, but that's not enough to sway Pai ... yet. But in case he needs a few more thoughts on the matter, here are nine reasons to fight for net neutrality.

1. If net neutrality goes away, your internet service provider gains a lot of power.

Without #NetNeutrality your ISP can: 1. Charge you extra to reach certain websites. 2. Slow down streaming serv… https://t.co/w7PdlMOqId
— Bill Prady (Taylor's Version) (@Bill Prady (Taylor's Version)) 1511285161

2. They will have the power to charge you extra for certain types of internet use or block certain sites altogether.

[This tweet is unavailable unless you pay for a $45/month social media access pass, please visit your <chosen ISP>… https://t.co/6V4A6AAIaV
— Jared - Redsquad (@Jared - Redsquad) 1511284918

3. This is already happening in other countries that don't have net neutrality. You have to pay for the type of internet you want to use, and it starts to add up really quickly.

In Portugal, with no net neutrality, internet providers are starting to split the net into packages. https://t.co/TlLYGezmv6
— Ro Khanna (@Ro Khanna) 1509062662

4. So this means:

Your cable / internet bill is about to go up bigly. #NetNeutrality
— Leah D. Daughtry (@Leah D. Daughtry) 1511287864

5. Not to mention, certain types of sites can be slowed down at the discretion of the internet service provider.

Politics your ISP doesn't agree with? Pornography your ISP doesn't agree with? Good luck getting that site to load.

"Net Neutrality" means corporations can't pay to manipulate how you use the internet (PORN). If this goes away, not… https://t.co/Tqsf5weOtn
— Bess Kalb (@Bess Kalb) 1511284824

6. Rolling back net neutrality could also hurt small businesses because if the internet essentially becomes pay-to-play, they won't be able to compete.

— (@)

7. And as Sen. Elizabeth Warren suggests, it may hinder future innovation too, as a slower, parceled internet won't help anyone research or discover.

We don’t know who is going to have the next big idea in this country, but they’re probably going to need to get onl… https://t.co/PinSnQa1S6
— Elizabeth Warren (@Elizabeth Warren) 1511296810

8. And this isn't a partisan issue. No one — left, right, center, or otherwise — should have the sites and resources they enjoy throttled or censored.

Save #NetNeutrality you idiots. Even the Trump supporters need to watch their right winged crap at the same speed as everyone else!
— God (@God) 1511286362

9. Because despite the name, this is not an issue you should remain neutral on. This is about access to a free internet.

@JasonKander @AjitPaiFCC I wish people would start framing it as #NetFreedom. #NetNeutrality doesn’t capture the vi… https://t.co/Aua3hqQrt4
— Rachel 🎷 (@Rachel 🎷) 1511286551

But what can you do about this? A lot actually.

Reach out to Ajit Pai and let him know you see what he's doing and it's not OK. You can also file a public comment on the FCC's website.

Call and e-mail and BOMBARD @AjitPaiFCC: Ajit.Pai@fcc.gov (202) 418-1000 He wants to destroy #NetNeutrality. Don’t let him.
— LeGate (@LeGate) 1511287896

Then reach out to Jessica Rosenworcel. She's another FCC commissioner who's doing everything she can to preserve net neutrality. Let her know you support her efforts.

Today @FCC leadership announced a plan to roll back #NetNeutrality. Let's roar. Let's make a ruckus. Let's stop… https://t.co/bdjVEciYQQ
— Jessica Rosenworcel (@Jessica Rosenworcel) 1511283405

And when it's time to vote, vote for candidates who stand up for a free and open internet.

In 2018, I will not support any politician who doesn't have an immediate plan to reinstate #NetNeutrality. None of… https://t.co/sHpPYbZmKq
— Nick Jack Pappas (@Nick Jack Pappas) 1511286167

This is not about politics or partisanship.

It's about big telecom companies deciding what you have access to. Join the conversation and speak up for these vital protections.

To learn more about net neutrality, check out the video below and take action at www.battleforthenet.com.

Why net neutrality is so important.
Here's why net neutrality matters to you. 🇺🇸 🗽 📲 💻 And here's how you can help protect it: www.battleforthenet.com (via Fight For The Future)
Posted by Upworthy on Monday, November 27, 2017

It's time we did something about gun violence.

"The paralysis you feel right now — the impotent helplessness that washes over you as news of another mass slaughter scrolls across the television screen — isn’t real," wrote Sen. Chris Murphy.

"It's a fiction created and methodically cultivated by the gun lobby, designed to assure that no laws are passed to make America safer, because those laws would cut into their profits," the Connecticut Democrat continued.

As many other politicians followed the standard routine of blaming gun violence on mental illness and offering "thoughts and prayers" in the wake of yet another mass shooting — this one in a Sutherland Springs, Texas, church — Murphy issued a statement urging immediate and tangible action.

Murphy speaks out following the Pulse night club shooting in 2016. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

The reaction to this most recent shooting in Texas, which killed at least 26 churchgoers and injured 20 others, has become disturbingly routine.

The attack, reportedly carried out by 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley, came less than five weeks after the Las Vegas massacre (58 dead), 16 months after the Pulse night club shooting in Orlando (49 dead), and five years after the Sandy Hook shooting (27 dead). CNN's Brian Stelter called the Texas shooting "unfathomable," but a look at the regularity with which these massacres happen suggests otherwise.

Murphy, who was the congressman for the city of Newtown, Connecticut, during the Sandy Hook shooting, is urging us to take a look at these horrors for what they are: a part of American life that we can put an end to if we want to.

"None of this is inevitable," Murphy wrote. "I know this because no other country endures this pace of mass carnage like America. It is uniquely and tragically American. As long as our nation chooses to flood the country with dangerous weapons and consciously let those weapons fall into the hands of dangerous people, these killings will not abate."

The First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, following a shooting on Nov. 5, 2017. Photo by Erich Schlegel/Getty Images.

Too many members of Congress are bought and paid for by the gun lobby, led by the National Rifle Association. Murphy wants to change that.

In recent years, the NRA has gotten increasingly extremist in its positions and messaging. They count on people being too shocked to act, and they count on that to defer any sort of legislative solution to some undefined future time when it's no longer "disrespectful" to the victims to want to do something that will prevent there being future victims.

Murphy is calling on his colleagues to reconsider whether it's worth it to pander to the gun lobby at the cost of American lives. If they can't or won't do that — which you can find out by contacting your representative and senators to find out where they stand on the issue — it's up to everyday citizens to vote them out of office.

"The terrifying fact is that no one is safe so long as Congress chooses to do absolutely nothing in the face of this epidemic," Murphy concluded. "The time is now for Congress to shed its cowardly cover and do something."